What do I Treat?

A common misconception is that chiropractors put bones back that are ‘out of place’. However this is not so; a bone out of place would involve a partial or complete dislocation which would damage the immediate surrounding structures. Chiropractors treat vertebral subluxation complexes: the function of a joint is movement and if this function is compromised, structural changes begin to take place in the joint and surrounding tissues (ligaments, muscle and tendon, connective tissue, blood supply and nerves). Therefore a vertebral subluxation complex involves a joint being fixed and unable to move fully through its normal range of motion.

The spine works as a chain. Each joint in the spine moves only a few degrees in each direction but the sum of each joint provides great flexibility and strength. When a joint becomes fixed or restricted in movement then the other joints in the chain have to compensate by moving more. As a result these joints become hyper mobile and increasingly prone to injury and degeneration.

Every joint has nerves that relay information about its movement and position to the central nervous system. If this input is abnormal, either because there is irritation of the nerve or because the joint is not moving properly, it is difficult for the nervous system to maintain smooth coordination of body functions and appropriate muscle contractions. In this way the body can develop abnormal movement patterns. A young, fit animal is often able to hide these by developing compensatory areas of fixation and hyper mobility; however he will be at risk of injury and, in the long term, pain and degeneration.

The aim of chiropractic treatment is therefore to restore normal function of the spine and other joints so that there is normal input to the central nervous system, the result of which should enable increased flexibility, strength, performance and vitality.

Testimonial

Julie K says:
I had suffered from neck and shoulder discomfort for nine months as a result of a whiplash injury and although I had other manipulative treatment which helped in the short term, it didn’t get to the root of the problem. After one treatment the effects were apparent: I used to dread a night’s sleep because my neck would be so painful in the morning. After two treatments the pain was gone and I felt like a new woman.